This invention relates generally to handrails for stairs and steps. More particularly, it relates to a retractable handrail for use with retractable stairs on recreational vehicles and the like.
A large segment of the American population owns motor homes, recreational vehicles (RVs), travel trailers, or fifth wheel trailers. These vehicles typically contain side doors located a substantial distance from the ground, with retractable stairs containing two or three steps for entry through the door. The stairs fold underneath the vehicle for travel and are either manually or automatically extended when the vehicle is parked. By their nature, retractable stairs are rather unstable, projecting from the side of the vehicle and providing no lateral support for a person entering the vehicle. A need for a handrail to accompany retractable stairs on recreational vehicles has long been recognized in the art, and numerous designs have been proposed. However, many recreational vehicles are currently sold without handrails, indicating that none of the existing designs are both cost-effective and technically suitable.
Most of the handrails found in the art suffer from two main disadvantages: mechanical complexity and manual extension. A foldable handrail structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,550, issued to Gregory. A hollow handrail is connected at one end to a bracket attached to the RV wall. Within the handrail moves a first end of a slide whose second end is connected to a second wall bracket located below the first. The slide moves along the handrail, extending the handrail away from the wall when the slide is at the lower end of the handrail, and folding the handrail toward the wall when the slide moves to the upper end of the handrail. The handrail structure of Gregory must be opened and closed manually, making it awkward to adjust.
A foldable hand rail is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,352, issued to Evans. The hand rail swings away from the camper wall during use and is supported by a strut that extends laterally from the rail. The strut helps to stabilize the hand rail and limit its lateral movement. The hand rail of Evans must be extended manually and is quite mechanically complex, introducing a higher possibility of part malfunction or breakage.
A cantilevered, retractable handrail is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,025, issued to Kiniry. The handrail requires no support post and pivots around its top end to be positioned against the wall or extending away from the wall. As with the rails of Gregory and Evans, the handrail of Kiniry must be manually extended and retracted. It also requires a complicated hinge that can support the handrail in its extended position without requiring a support post.
A foldable handrail assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,420, issued to Downing. The assembly is similar to handrail of Gregory, but contains an additional stabilizer rod. Most importantly, the assembly allows varying placement of its parts to facilitate retrofitting of different designs of trailers. The handrail of Downing is mechanically complex and requires manual retraction.
A storable stairway and platform apparatus for recreational vehicles is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,116, issued to Williams et al. The stairway has scissor linkages for folding the steps into parallel alignment with each other for retraction. The stairway may also be supplied with a foldable banister that is removably attached to a bracket on the RV wall. In order to retract the banister, a pin must be removed from the bracket and the banister folded away from the wall. The banister must be manually removed from and attached to the wall when desired.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved handrail for a recreational vehicle that is mechanically simple, can be added to existing vehicles, and automatically retracts and extends with the stairs.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a telescoping handrail that automatically retracts or extends when the stairs of the recreational vehicle are retracted or extended.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a retractable handrail that is mechanically simple and contains few parts, reducing the frequency of necessary maintenance or repair.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a handrail for recreational vehicles that can easily be added to existing vehicles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a strong, durable handrail that provides sufficient support while remaining lightweight.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a retractable handrail that is aesthetically appealing, providing a clean, uncluttered look to the outside of the recreational vehicle.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a retractable handrail that is compact and projects only a few inches from the side of the vehicle when in its retracted position.
Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide a retractable handrail that is inexpensive to manufacture and to purchase.
These objects and advantages are attained by a retractable handrail for a recreational vehicle (RV) that contains retractable stairs for entry through a door. Extending the stairs causes extension of the handrail, and retraction of the stairs causes retraction of the handrail. The handrail contains an extended upper rail, between two and five feet long, and an extended lower rail, between two and three feet long. The upper rail has a wall end that can be pivotally attached to an outer wall of the vehicle, adjacent to the door, and a bottom end telescopingly engaged with a top end of the lower rail. The lower rail also has a step end that can be pivotally attached to the stairs. Preferably, the lower rail telescopes within the upper rail, but the upper rail may instead telescope within the lower rail. At least one spacer is preferably secured around the lower rail at a location that remains within the upper rail during extension and retraction of the handrail. When the stairs are extended, the lower rail travels in an outward and downward direction, sliding within the upper rail and extending the handrail. Preferably, the handrail is made of metal, and most preferably of steel.
When the handrail is attached to the RV wall and retracted, the step end of the lower rail and the wall end of the upper rail are substantially vertically aligned, and the handrail extends at most six inches from the outer wall of the RV. Preferably, the upper rail is bent to form an obtuse angle, approximately 150xc2x0, near the wall end. The angle defines a rail plane, and the handrail is positioned so that the rail plane is perpendicular to the outer wall. The upper and lower rails are preferably both tubular with circular cross section. The upper rail may be connected to the RV via an upper bracket fixed to the outer wall. Similarly, the lower rail may be connected to the RV via a lower bracket fixed to the stairs, either to the side or bottom of the lowest step. The rails are pivotally connected to their respective brackets.